The contents of each box are combined with brownedground beef, water, and occasionally milk to create a complete dish. There are also variations using other meats, such as tuna and chicken, named "Tuna Helper" and "Chicken Helper". The product line also features products with other starches, such as rice or potatoes.

The Hamburger Helper mascot is the "Helping Hand" or "Lefty": a four-fingered, left-hand white glove, with a face on it and red spherical nose. It often appears in the product's television commercials and on their packaged products.[2][3][5]

The basic and most popular version of Hamburger Helper is a box of dried pasta with seasoning, to be cooked with ground beef. Hamburger Helper offers a variety of flavors that include Lasagne, Cheeseburger Macaroni, Bacon Cheeseburger, Philly Cheesesteak, and others. There are also variations using other foods, such as tuna and chicken, named "Tuna Helper" and "Chicken Helper".

Pork Helper was introduced in 2003. Varieties included pork fried rice and pork chops with stuffing. The product was discontinued shortly after its introduction.[9]

Hamburger Helper Microwave Singles were introduced in 2006. This product requires water and brief cooking in the microwave to produce a single serving portion of some of the most popular flavors. Chicken Helper flavors were added in 2007 despite the brand being discontinued shortly thereafter. It returned in 2013 as Chicken and Chili Helper.

On April 1, 2016, General Mills commissioned an EP as an April Fools' Day prank, titled Watch the Stove. According to a press release, the EP was produced for General Mills by a team at St. Paul, Minnesota's McNally Smith College of Music.[11] The EP's title is a parody of the Jay-Z and Kanye collaborative album Watch the Throne. It contains five songs, all of which are about Hamburger Helper. It instantly achieved viral status, garnering over 4 million listens on SoundCloud in less than three days, with many listeners finding value in the brand's promotion of younger artists.[12]